


breathe it in, sing it out

by nishanightray



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hoshi Meguri (IDOLiSH7), Established Relationship, M/M, Post-Canon, Romantic Fluff, Sirena planet, What-If, others are just mentioned - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-09-05 17:34:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16815289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nishanightray/pseuds/nishanightray
Summary: Moments like that were really something to be treasured, he thought. He understood it now, what his king meant. He breathed in deeply, then quietly begun to hum the melody that was born in his heart.





	breathe it in, sing it out

**Author's Note:**

> hi i'm still crying oceans about hoshi meguri
> 
> *set right after 'birdsong'  
> **the title is loosely based on the song 'beautiful escape' by aj rafael

The lights of the festival lightened up the whole sky, putting constellations on shame.

Shinkai sat on a column, looking at the people dancing from above, slightly isolated from the crowd. There hadn’t been a single moment of peace and silence since he had returned to Sirena; a whole week was spent in partying and dancing and singing – basically, ever since the truth about the celestial pilgrimage had spread, everyone had felt the need to celebrate being alive and show their mirth through the arts they all practiced daily. King Sardinia understood that more than anyone, that’s why he had agreed to dedicate a whole week to those kind of celebrations. Not that he needed any special reason to. Sirena’s people really did love festivals as such, after all.

During those days, Shinkai himself had been showered with love from the people – everyone wanted to show their gratitude for saving the galaxy and their precious planet, it seemed, despite the fact that Shinkai insisted that he did very little to help. Fang, Coda, Hope, Erin… they were the ones who should have been thanked, he thought. And the Observer of the Stars. He still couldn’t believe he had witnessed the legend with his own eyes.

However, it was useless to say all of that to the people here. He tried to, but they didn’t listen. Since he was been kept at the king’s side, everyone seemed to regard him as a blessed person and started treating him as such. Shinkai still didn’t know if he felt really comfortable with that. He kind of wanted his peaceful days back, yet he couldn’t bring himself to dislike where he was now, either. He simply felt content with watching them smiling and having fun, rather than joining in. 

Shinkai played a few notes with his flute, matching the tune coming from the party before him. It was a full moon that night, and it made him feel somehow melancholic. There had been many nights like that before, sitting and watching the moon alone as he played his music, unperturbed. After the journey, though, he seemed to appreciate simple things like that more – since everything had been on the verge of going to ruin, it suddenly dawned on him that even this moon was a gift. He could only watch it now because he was still alive and the universe as they knew it still existed.

It kind of made him want to watch the moon with Sardinia. There wasn’t anyone else he wanted to share the feeling with. Shinkai thoroughly scanned the streets to find his king, but he couldn’t see him anywhere. Actually, with the exception of the first night they spent together – the memory still made him blush, made him bite his lips like he could still feel Sardinia’s kisses lingering on them – Shinkai hadn’t seen much of the king at all. Sardinia seemed to be very busy those days. Not only did he preside over the festival’s preparations, but he was also requested to join the other kings at Mistero’s sanctuary more than once. It looked like Mistero wanted to reforge alliances to assure the future of the universe.

No one but the kings were allowed to go. Shinkai chuckled as he imagined what Erin and Lazu would say about such a decision – no doubt they would rather follow their kings to every corner of the galaxy. To his own surprise, Shinkai found himself thinking he would have followed Sardinia, too, if he could.

He sighed and was about to resume his playing when a well-known voice interrupted him.

“Ah, so that’s where you were, Shinkai.”

A wave of relief washed over him as he looked down and saw Sardinia staring up at him with a smile. The king wore an elegant blue dress, finely embroidered with gold, so he was probably returning now.

“Were you playing something? It’s a shame I couldn’t hear it,” Sardinia said, then extended his hand towards him. “Will you come down for me, Shinkai?” He didn’t really have to ask. Shinkai was already ready to jump down the moment he’d seen him, and so he did.

He took off his hat and hinted a small bow with his head as he greeted him, “Welcome back, my king. Did everything go well on Mistero?”

“Thank you. If it weren’t for king Orion’s boisterous complaints, it would have been a very pleasant stay. Oh well, no doubt that man will always be like that, no matter how many years pass.” Sardinia sighed, exasperated, but Shinkai could detect a hint of fondness in his voice.

“By the way, Fang and Hope send the best regards to you. Fang even said you are welcome to join their caravan whenever you like... if you’d like to go on a trip or two in the future.” Sardinia touched his chin with two fingers, pensive. “I wonder if I should go, too, in that case…” he muttered, like he was seriously considering it. The torches threw light and shadow on his face as the flames danced in the wind. Only now that they were close, Shinkai noticed that small glittering pearls adorned Sardinia’s hair and that the collar of his dress held a gem of the same color as his eyes. He was so pretty he couldn’t help but stare and Sardinia had to shake him out of his thoughts again.

“Shinkai, what do you think?”

Shinkai blinked as his head slowly caught up on the question. Fang and the caravan, right. He put on his hat again and cleared his throat, bringing a fist to his mouth.

“Well, king Fang often goes on journeys even though he’s the king of Bestia, so I think it would be fine if you also went,” he said evenly, watching his king’s reaction.

Sardinia’s somewhat serious expression didn’t change.

“Would you like me to go on a trip with me, then, someday?”

Once again surprising himself, Shinkai nodded without thinking twice about it. And it was worth it – Sardinia’s mouth slowly curved into a smile as a soft light lit up his eyes. He reached out and took his hand, making Shinkai’s heart skip a bit.

“Thank you, Shinkai,” Sardinia whispered, “Come with me.” He started walking, and Shinkai followed suit without any question, though he was confused about why he’d been thanked and where they were going. He simply trusted king Sardinia, putting himself in his hands once more.

Turned out that Sardinia was just bringing him to the throne room. It was almost weird to see it empty and silent as it was then. Sardinia let go of his hand and went to sit on the throne, letting himself fall on the soft cushions with a small, tired sigh.

“No one will disturb us here. They are all busy with the celebrations,” he said, making himself comfortable.

Shinkai nodded, not knowing what to say. Maybe the king just wanted to relax, after all. Just as he thought he shouldn’t have overthought this, Sardinia raised an arm and extended his hand towards him once again.

“Shinkai, don’t stand there. Come a little bit closer,” he said, clearly gesturing at him to stand beside him.

Shinkai obliged, quietly wondering what the king was up to. In the dim light that the moon shed in the room, he thought he saw a small smile play on Sardinia’s lips; then, as soon as he was right in front of him, Sardinia surprised him by grabbing his arm firmly and pulling him in. Shinkai jumped and almost stumbled onto him with a whelp – he only managed to hold himself up by putting his hand on the armrest.

“K-King!” Shinkai looked up at him, redness blossoming on his cheeks. Sardinia laughed softly.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I was too impatient, wasn’t I?” He said calmly. “I only wanted you to come sit on my lap.”

Shinkai blinked at him. His king always managed to take him by surprise.

“Huh… I don’t think there’s enough space for me to sit, though.” He tilted his head in confusion, frowning lightly. Sardinia didn’t seem deterred at all – he simply kept smiling and patted his lap.

“Here, come,” he encouraged him. “Ah, it’s not an order, by the way. I would like you to be comfortable with it, naturally. I will slowly make you used to doing things like this.”

“Things like this…” Shinkai repeated under his breath. Sardinia said more than once that he would teach him how to be his lover. Was this also part of it? He didn’t know. He felt his face warm up simply by thinking about it in those terms, though he didn’t dislike it. He breathed in deeply as he came to a decision.

“Uhm… Alright.” Finally, he put down his flute, then carefully climbed on the throne, until he was sitting on Sardinia’s lap, facing him. His legs were pressed against his king’s sides, his chest flush against the other’s. “This is… kind of embarrassing,” he murmured, looking down to avoid Sardinia’s attentive gaze.

As he reached to pull down his hat to hide his face, Sardinia grabbed his hand and brought it to his own mouth, his lips brushing tenderly against his knuckles.

“Ah, that I cannot allow. Please don’t hide yourself from me,” he said as he let go of his hand and caressed his cheek. Shinkai held his breath. Sardinia noticed and chuckled. “Your cheeks are so adorably flushed right now. How can you ask me to miss such a pretty sight, now that I finally have you right where I wanted?” His hand fell from his face and he wrapped his arms snugly around him, holding him firmly in place to prevent him from falling off the throne.

“I, I’m sorry, I’m just…” Shinkai paused, not knowing how to describe what he felt. His chest felt tight, almost squeezed, as it often happened when Sardinia displayed his affection for him. He wanted to do something, too; he wanted to give something back to him, even just a little.

Sardinia’s face was close enough to touch. His skin looked smooth, perfect. Shinkai gently took that beautiful face between his hands and stared at him as he steeled his resolve. Sardinia looked back at him quietly, curious, trying to read his intentions. Shinkai didn’t know exactly what he was doing either, but he still tried.

He leaned down and placed a gentle, tentative kiss on Sardinia’s lips. Although it was very brief and light, the touch was surely well welcomed, if Sardinia’s soft sigh against his mouth was anything to go by. Somehow, it spurred him on, made him a little braver. Shinkai caressed Sardinia’s face slowly, then his hands fell on his shoulders. A thousand questions twirled in his head – how did Sardinia usually kiss him? What did he do to make it feel pleasant? Could he do it, too? He tried to remember how Sardinia did it and copy him.

When he interrupted the kiss briefly to catch his breath, Sardinia instinctively tightened his arms around his waist, as though he was afraid Shinkai would leave. Shinkai quickly reassured him by kissing him again, opening his mouth slightly against his, tentatively brushing his tongue against his. Sardinia softly moaned and held him a little tighter.

Shinkai kissed him and kissed him and kissed him, until he felt Sardinia’s hands sneaking under his shirt and pressing warmly into his back, just above the waistline. His body’s reaction was immediate. Moaning in surprise, he jerked up and arched himself against Sardinia, squeezing his shoulders with his fingers and pressing his legs tightly against his sides. The abrupt movement made his hat slip off his head and onto the floor, but he didn’t, _couldn’t_ pay any mind to it right now. Mortified by his own reaction, Shinkai bended down to bury his face in Sardinia’s neck as to hide his embarrassment. This time, Sardinia didn’t stop him.

“Ah… sorry, my bad,” Sardinia muttered, his voice low and rough, “…I was happy that Shinkai took the lead on his own, so I got a little carried away. Are you alright? Do you dislike it?” He turned slightly to press a kiss against his cheek, as to reassure him, then slowly withdrew his hands, setting for a normal hug. Shinkai snuggled more into his warm body as he gulped and tried to catch his breath.

“…I don’t really… dislike it…” He said, feeling a little lightheaded, “I was just… surprised…”

“If you don’t dislike it, then do you like it?”

Shinkai thought for a moment, then nodded. Sardinia chuckled lightly.

“My, how honest. Won’t you say you don’t know?”

“I’m… starting to get it,” Shinkai muttered, “It’s warm and… I think… as long as it’s you… I will be fine with anything you want to do…” It took all of his courage to say it since it was embarrassing, but they were his true feelings. Sardinia was always telling him how he felt about him, so Shinkai thought it was only fair for him to do the same.

Sardinia didn’t answer right away, or rather, he didn’t at all. When he realized there had been no reaction, Shinkai slowly pulled away and looked at him, only to find the king wearing a rather complex expression on his face, biting on his lower lip in deep thought. Shinkai wondered if the king’s cheeks weren’t a bit flushed, too, and couldn’t help but stare at him, puzzled.

“King Sardinia…?” As soon as he was called, Sardinia let out a sigh.

“You keep on taking me by surprise tonight,” Sardinia mumbled. “I hope you really mean what you said, because I plan to never let you go. Ah, I really want to keep you by my side forever… Every moment I spend with you is so precious. I want to treasure you.” The sweet tone he used made Shinkai quiver and melt.

“I… don’t plan to leave your side either?” He frowned, wondering how the king got such an idea. Did he do something to make him doubt his loyalty to him? He couldn’t think of anything, though. “There’s no other place I’d rather be,” he added honestly. Sardinia sighed.

“Shinkai, you are really… Ah, to think that I wanted to comfort you, yet I got comforted instead.” He shook his head, his features softening up. Shinkai looked at him, puzzled, so Sardinia continued, “Were you not sad before? I thought you looked somehow melancholic when I found you at the festival… Or perhaps it was just the moon that made it look that way.”

Shinkai paused for a moment. “Well, rather than looking sad…” he hesitated, “I was just thinking of… something, that is all.”

“Oh? Won’t you tell me what it was?” Sardinia suddenly piped up, looking interested.

Shinkai looked away shyly and took in a trembling breath. “I was… thinking about you,” he murmured, “The moon was beautiful, and I thought… I really wanted to show you.”

Sardinia fell quiet again. It was really weird to witness his king being left speechless. Then, just as Shinkai dared glancing at him, Sardinia pulled him in and hugged him so tightly to make him breathless. As Sardinia pressed his face into him, Shinkai noticed his shoulders were trembling almost imperceptibly.

Overcome with affection, Shinkai sunk into the hug and slowly, hesitantly carded his fingers through Sardinia’s hair. Sardinia sighed softly against him and mumbled something inaudible, muffled by his clothes.

“Hm? King Sardinia, did you say something…?” Shinkai asked, innocently tilting his head.

Sardinia stayed quiet for a moment more, then pulled back firmly.

“Alright,” he mumbled, talking to himself, then said to him, “If it goes on as such, I will not be able to control myself, so I have thought of something. Can you stand up for me, Shinkai?”

Shinkai blinked in confusion, but nodded. He obediently untangled himself from the hug and climbed down from Sardinia’s lap, all while sneaking questioning looks at him. First he asked him to sit like that, then to stand up again – what was the king up to? He didn’t understand what was going on at all.

Sardinia got up, too, and stepped down the throne. He walked past Shinkai, to the middle of the room, right under the silvery light of the moon; then he turned around and held his hand towards him.

“Dance with me, Shinkai,” he said, a confident smile playing on his lips.

Shinkai stared at him, completely bewildered.

“I… I don’t know how to dance,” was the only thing he managed to stutter out. Sardinia seemed to have already predicted such an answer, he didn’t look surprised nor discouraged.

“I will personally teach you how, then,” he said confidently, “Will you take my hand, Shinkai?”

There was really only one answer.

“Yes, king Sardinia.” He stepped towards him and placed his hand gently on the one he was offered. Sardinia squeezed it lightly and pulled him in, his other hand pressing into his hip as he graciously took the lead. Shinkai couldn’t help but smile – as expected from the king of Sirena, Sardinia was cool even when he danced. He was profoundly gifted in all arts. There couldn’t be anyone coolest than him. Shinkai simply followed him, trying to match his steps as they twirled around in a slow, slow motion.

Sardinia was smiling softly and his eyes glittered like jewels as he looked at him like he was drowning in bliss; it was contagious just by looking at him, and Shinkai felt his heart speeding up.

Moments like that were really something to be treasured, he thought. He understood it now, what his king meant. He breathed in deeply, then quietly begun to hum the melody that was born in his heart. Sardinia almost closed his eyes, letting himself go, lulled by his voice as they continued to dance all night bathed in the moonlight that fell from above, undisturbed and moonstruck.

**Author's Note:**

> Shinkai's pureness feeds my heart & waters my crops (& most of all annihilates Sardinia's jealousy in 0.5 seconds)


End file.
